THE NOGUCHI MEMORIAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (NMIMR-IRB)

The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Institutional Review Board (NMIMR-IRB) was established in 2000 as part of a requirement for collaborative research with a US funded project (NIH). This establishment took effect in consultation with the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana after it’s meeting on the 13th November, 2001. The NMIMR-IRB is an independent and competent body set up to review, evaluate and decide on the ethical merits of research protocols ensuring and guaranteeing the rights, dignity, safety and protection of all individuals and communities who participate in research activities. The IRB reviews both internal and external research protocols received from NMIMR, School of Nursing, School of Public Health, School of Allied Health, University of Ghana Medical Schools, private organizations, individual researchers and protocols outside the Ghana.

The composition of the IRB is as follows:
• A lawyer
• Physician-Scientist
• Journalist
• Scientists
• Non-Scientists
• Religious Body Representing the larger Community
• Medical Doctor
• Sociologist

The IRB follows a structured protocol that clearly outlines terms of reference, membership, meetings and criteria for protocol reviews.
The Officers of IRB comprise the Chair, Vice Chair and the Administrator. This body has a permanent Secretariat at NMIMR which is manned by the IRB administrator.
Currently, all the activities of the IRB are funded by NMIMR. The board meets six times within a year (Every other month) and a number of expedited reviews occur as and when necessary. On the average 44 protocols are reviewed every year with 29% forming student’s protocols. Majority (70%) of the protocols reviewed are biomedical whilst 30% are of social or behavioral research. Statistics have shown that the chances of a protocol receiving a first time clearance are about 85%. So far the major cause of failure to obtain IRB clearance has been attributed to reasons such as poorly written informed consent, targeting vulnerable population without adequate protection, inability to translate informed consent into local language, use of technical language in the consent form and lack of CV of Principal investigators (PI).

A protocol submitted by PIs from within NMIMR should have been approved by the scientific and Technical Committee (STC) of NMIMR. All applicants for IRB clearance must submit the following for consideration:
• 14 hard copies and 1 soft copy (sent by mail to the administrator/deputy Administrator)
• CVs of all Investigators with a cover letter signed by the Principal Investigator
• An Informed Consent Form for Potential Research Participants (Subjects).
• Fill out Form A, which can be downloaded from Noguchi website.
General Forms
• FORM A-INITIAL SUBMISSION FORM.
• FORM B-CONTINUING REVIEW
• Deadline Form
• Consent form
• Guidelines for Writing Informed Consent
• IRB MEMBERSHIP
• SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENT FORM D
For Any enquiries regarding ethical clearance please contact the following:

Rev. S. Ayete-Nyampong (Chairman)
C/o NMIMR
University of Ghana
P. O. Box LG 581
Legon, Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233 244 079872 (Mobile)
+233 21 776052 (Residence)
Email: sayete_nyampong@hotmail.com
s_nyampong@yahoo.co.uk

Mr. Okyere Boateng (IRB Administrator)
P. O. Box LG 581
Legon, Accra-Ghana
Tel: +233 20 7304036
Email: Oboateng@noguchi.mimcom.org


Ms. Helena Baidoo (Deputy IRB Administrator)
NMIMR
P. O. Box LG 581
Leogn, Accra-Ghana
Tel: +233 288 736513 (Mobile)
+233 244 736513 (Mobile)
+233 20 7304036
Email: hbaidoo@noguchi.mimcom.org
helenabaidoo@hotmail.com/ lenabaid@yahoo.co.uk